Overlooking the Bampton Valley on the edge of the Lake District, the picturesque ruins of Lowther’s nineteenth-century castle are one of the region’s most popular attractions. Less well known are the earthworks immediately to the north, the remains of a medieval castle and village.
The site at Lowther can provide rare evidence of the conquest and colonisation of the Kingdom of Cumbria by King William Rufus in 1092 – a generation after the Normans seized control of the rest of England. The site is potentially of national significance but has never been substantially investigated. The Lowther Medieval Castle and Village project brings together historians (CWD, Lancaster University) and archaeologists (UCLan, Allen Archaeology) from the North West to uncover the site’s biography at the crossroads of Medieval Britain, c.800-1300.
In 2023 the project was featured on BBC2’s Digging for Britain (see behind-the-scenes photographs below). You can learn more about the Norman Conquest of Cumbria in 1092 in BBC History Extra Podcast featuring project lead Dr Sophie Ambler and Professor Fiona Edmonds.
- Phase One (2023): funded by the Castle Studies Trust (CST), the team conducted archival research and a geophysical survey and excavations of the castle and village.
- Phase Two (2024): funded by the CST and the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society (CWAAS), the proejct extended the geophysical survey and conducted further excavations. Meanwhile, Lowther Castle and Gardens Trust (LCGT) funded research into Lowther's place in the Kingdom of Cumbria, commissioning an expert report on the site's array of early medieval stone sculpture.
- Phase Three (2025): funded by LCGT, the geophysical survey of the north park was completed and excvations extended for the biggest dig yet, with students from the New Leaf Centre (Penrith) and members of the Lake District National Park Archaeology Volunteer Network joining archaeologists from UCLan and Allen Archaeology.